366 



Garden and Forest. 



[July 31, 1889. 



season is evidently most enjoyable to them. We look upon 

 the Knap Hill nursery as the birthplace of this magnificent 

 race of hardy shrubs, for here it was that the original species, 

 brought here from North America, were worked upon by the 

 Waterers of by-gone days. In Loudon's time, during the first 

 quarter of this'century. Knap Hill was the headquarters for 

 Azalea-raising, and it has been going on ever since, for the 

 present proprietor is as keen upon rearing new kinds as ever 

 his predecessors were, the result being that the Azalea has 

 been worked up to such a high state of perfection that one is 

 inclined to wonder how it can be further improved. But Mr. 

 Waterer will not be satisfied until he gets flowers as large and 

 as fine in forni as the best of his Rhododendrons, and he is 

 certainly leading them up to that. One would think that noth- 

 ing could surpass in richness and brilliancy the color of such 

 old sorts as Coccinea, Cuprea splendens, Fulgens and the like, 

 but they even are dull when compared side by side wit'i the 

 new race of seedlings raised within the last few years at this 

 nursery. There are among them fiery scarlets and crimsons, 

 the purest whites and yellows, and in not a few there is a strik- 

 ing combination of tints, such as scarlet and orange or white 

 and orange. Parallel with the improvement of flower in 

 size, color and form has been the improvement in tlie habit of 

 growth, the aim being to get a race that will not grow into 

 those straggling (though to some picturesque) specimens 

 which are commonly met with in old gardens. But the great- 

 est improvement, I think, is that of inducing a leafiness at the 

 time of flowering. The old sorts, especially the light sorts bred 

 from A. jiiidiflora, have a naked appearance when in bloom 

 which detracts from their flower beauty. It has been Mr. 

 Waterer's aim to get a race that produces flowers and leaves 

 together, and is therefor far more effective than the majority 

 of the old sorts. You see at Knap Hill acre after acre of noth- 

 ing but Azalea-seedlings, among which exceptionally fine sorts 

 are continually cropping up at flowering-time, and the process 

 of selection and comparison goes on daily for weeks. But 

 only a comparatively few from these great seedling-beds are 

 selected as worthy of naming, so that one may be sure that 

 those that are honored with names are of superlative merit. 

 There was cwie new sort named Mrs. Walter Druce that struck 

 me much. It has a pure white flower, with a bright yellow 

 spot on the upper petal. The early-flowering Chinese A. mol- 

 lis is now an established favorite in all parts of this country, 

 both as an open-air shrub and for pot-culture for early forcing. 

 There are a good many so-called varieties, with distinctive 

 names (chiefly Belgian), but the range of color is very limited. 

 There are, in fact, very few shades of tint between yellow and 

 the bright flame-colored sort, which, I believe, was that 

 originally introduced. But time and industry will doubtless 

 accomplish much in the improvement of this race, especially 

 if it can be made to intercross with the American race. The 

 double-flowered sorts, of which that named Narcissiflora, with 

 yellow flowers like a double Jonquil, may be taken as the 

 type, is decidedly popular, as the flowers last longer in perfec- 

 tion than the single ones. Bouquet-florists have already taken 

 them in hand, as tlie flowers are just the size required for 

 small floral devices. There is a fair range of color, too, among 

 them — yellows of various shades, pure white and pale pinks, 

 while all have a delicate fragrance. The thorough hardiness 

 of all these Azaleas is a great point in their favor, and I 

 imagine that they could be grown in America, even where the 

 Rhododendron, on account of its evergreen foliage, would fail. 



London, June 27th. W. Goldrillg. 



Cultural Department. 



The Small Fruit Garden. 



THE yield of Raspberries for the- season of 1889 has been 

 abundant with such varieti-es as passed the winter and 

 spring unharmed. The excessive and frequent rains have 

 favored the development of the fruit to its maximum size, and, 

 at the same time, has ruined a large per cent, of the crop, 

 making it so soft that a few hours of hot sunshine caused 

 rapid decay. This was particularly the case with blackcaps, 

 fully half of the crop being wasted. They, however, furnished 

 fine feed for bees, and this, to some extent, kept them from 

 the red varieties. The birds also have feasted on them in 

 preference to the red kinds. The first crop of blackcaps is 

 always the best ; the second, though heavier, generally runs 

 smaller, and after this I prefer to root them out and commence 

 anew. The red varieties will give satisfactory returns for a 

 number of years if well cared for. Our leading varieties are 

 Caroline (yellow), Marlboro', Montclair and Cuthbert, ripen- 

 ing in the order named. The former we esteem very highly 



for table use, but it is too delicate to keep long or carry any 

 great distance. It is perfectly hardy iiere and very productive, 

 and a general favorite with those who know it. Of the others 

 the Cuthbert is the most productive, but Marlboro' and Mont- 

 clair are firmer, "stand up" better and are a little superior 

 in flavor ; but to untrained palates there is little difference 

 among the red varieties. All are highly esteemed for can- 

 ning, with or without currants, and no house-wife's stores 

 are complete without them. Shaffer's Colossal, a reddish- 

 purple berry of the cap habit, is especially valuable for 

 canning ; a berry of the largest size, an enormous grower 

 and very productive. The canes are sometimes injured 

 during winter. 



The crop having been gathered the old canes should be cut 

 out, removed, and burned as a sanitary measure. The ashes 

 are of more value and less unsightly than the canes. Some 

 people advocate deferring this work till winter or spring, on 

 the plea that the old canes protect the young ones, but I see 

 no reason for the delay. As their duty in fruit-producing is 

 ended, it only remains for them to die a natural death, and the 

 process of ripening and maturing previous to this make an 

 unnecessary draught on the roofs and soil which the young 

 canes need' and wliich they can better utilize. Besides, the 

 freer admission of sunlight and air will aid them to develop 

 and mature, and better fit them for duty another season. For 

 these reasons I practice the immediate removal of old canes 

 and also thinning out the young canes to the needs of next 

 year, unless the surplus plants are needed for planting else- 

 where. Two or three good stout canes left in a hill is ample, 

 and much better than a greater number. Weeds should be 

 pulled out to prevent seeding, and they are useful as a 

 mulching. On the approacli of winter a dressing of stable 

 manure will be found beneficial ; the fertilizing properties 

 will find their way to the roots and be all ready for the plants 

 to appropriate it in the spring. People who desire the 

 finer foreign or tender sorts must take the trouble to lay 

 down and cover the canes during the winter. For small 

 quantities this is not much trouble, but for large growers 

 this is impracticable. 



The same course may be pursued with the Currant-bushes. 

 The fact that their fruit has been gathered is no excuse for 

 general neglect, and especially for permitting weeds to grow 

 and ripen their seeds among them to make extra work an- 

 other season. The crop of this fruit has Ijeen abundant, but 

 the four days' rain which ushered in the month of July just 

 as the Currants were ripening caused them to burst to an 

 extent I have never witnessed before. ()uite one-half of the 

 fruit remaining on my plants at that time split open and spoiled. 

 Fay's Prolific maintains its reputation for size and productive- 

 ness. I do not think I ever made a better investment in the 

 fruit line for its size than when I paid $10 for a dozen plants of 

 this Currant. It is not difficult to remember many poorer 

 ones. A friend recently stated that he was surprised, in a re- 

 cent day's drive through the country, to notice the numerous 

 gardens where the Currant-bushes still held their fruit while en- 

 tirely denuded of their leaves by the Currant-worm. Such fruit 

 never can ripen and develop to pei'fection, and it is unaccount- 

 al)le that so many people, either from carelessness or a mis- 

 taken fear of being poisoned, will permit such an exhibition 

 on their grounds when hellebore is so cheap and effective 

 a remedy and is so easily applied. People whose Currant- 

 bushes are allowed to become breeding-places for this pest 

 do great injury to their neighbors. 



ThedightGrass crop, generally, is favorable to a rank growth 

 of the vines. If summer pruning has been attended to so far 

 in the season the pruning now will be the final. one. If the 

 main canes and laterals are now stopped after-growth will not 

 be excessive, and the remaining canes will have an opportun- 

 ity to properly develop and ripen their wood. The season 

 has been very favorable for wood growth, which, if allowed 

 to go on unchecked, will result in feeble buds on the wood 

 nearest the vine, and these are the ones needed for next sea- 

 son's fruiting. All the fruit a vine should carry can be pro- 

 duced within six feet of its trunk as well as twenty or fifty feet 

 away. Bearing canes, if stopped three leaves beyond the last 

 cluster of fruit, will have all the foliage necessary to perfectly 

 ripen the fruit provided the foliage remains in healthy condi- 

 tion. Clean and healthy foliage elsewhere on the vine will not 

 compensate for the loss of the leaves near the fruit. Mildewed 

 and rotting berries should be picked off and buried or burned 

 to destroy the germs of the fungus infesting them. The light- 

 ness of the crop ought not to prevent proper attention to the 

 health of the vines on which next season's crop depends, but 

 it will naturally tend to neglect in this direction. 



Montclair, N.J. E. Williams. 



